Here are 5 things you should know.
1. If your adjusted gross income is less than $64,000 you probably qualify for free tax filing software for both your federal and state taxes. (The US only)
The IRS has a tool that will allow you to input some basic information about yourself (age, income, state, AGI) and it will provide a list of all e-filing software that will allow you to file your taxes for free and the requirements for free filing with that software.
Also, note that you never have to pay to file your taxes. Even if you make over $64,000, you can always fill out the forms yourself (either with paper or with free fillable forms).
2. fast.com is an internet speed test site that works on smartphones.
This site doesn’t require you to download an ad-filled app like Ookla speed test.
3. Android 7.0 now has a split-screen mode.
To activate it, tap the button at the bottom of your phone to see your recent apps. Then, tap and drag one of them to the top of the screen. To add the second app, just tap it from your recent apps. To exit full screen, drag the bar in the middle up or down.
4. You can use Pocket to read locked-out news articles.
Pocket is a free service you can use to save URLs to read later. The service will download articles for you, which is especially helpful if a news site blocks you for using an ad blocker, or if they lock you out after reading X number of articles.
There are browser extensions and mobile apps available, basically, all you do is visit the URL and click the save to Pocket button. On Android, you add articles to your list by “sharing” the article and choosing Pocket from the menu.
To read the saved article you use the Pocket website, or on mobile just open the app and it will be waiting for you!
Here’s the web address for Pocket: www.getpocket.com
5. Windows 10’s “Fast Startup” feature may be the cause of extreme slowdowns/issues on your computer.
Guide to enable/disable Fast Startup in Windows 10
Windows 10 has a feature, called Fast Startup, that essentially keeps the Windows kernel, and drivers, in a sort of ‘hibernate’ mode, at all times (even if you completely power down your system, and unplug it/remove the battery). The pros of this are simple: your system will boot slightly faster (SSD boot times are negligible, however) into the Windows OS. However, updates, driver installations/removals, and other unforeseen modifications can sometimes hang or get screwy, resulting in the issue being repeatedly loaded each time Windows 10 boots. This can cause massive system issues, including errors when loading folders in the explorer, and application launches. Furthermore, the responsiveness of Windows 10 can seem sluggish, even on a higher end system.
There is no harm in giving the disabling of this “feature” a try, just to see if it could possibly be the cause of your sluggish system.
